DOD acknowledges additional U.S. troops in Syria

It's merely a long-delayed confirmation that the troop numbers the Pentagon had been citing were inaccurate. The United States will take a "conditions-based" approach to removing its forces from Syria, he said, aiming to stabilize areas liberated from ISIS control and bolster local groups to govern as it supports United Nations-led peace talks in Geneva.

The US defense Department said that soon will provide information about the exact number of American troops stationed overseas, reports Voice of America. The new number does not mean additional troops have been deployed to the volatile country, but it does show the large inaccuracy of previous figures. The U.S. military had as recently as November said the official troop count in Syria was 503.

Col. Robert Manning says the 2,000 troops is just an approximation, in keeping with President Trump's policy of not making troop levels a matter of public record.

The Department of Defense provided a similar revision for troop numbers in Afghanistan in August, changing the acknowledged number of troops from about 8,400 to 11,000.

A Pentagon official said on Tuesday the USA military plans on staying in Syria as long as necessary to ensure the Islamic State group does not return.

"It's approximately 2,000 now, could be more, could be less, we don't want to showcase our capabilities to the enemy", Manning said at the Pentagon.

Operations in both countries are shifting as the terrorist group shrinks, said Eric Pahon, another Pentagon spokesman.